the art of lying
by Xephonia
Summary: Ryouga is a bad liar, Nasch is a bad liar, but there's only so much time and Vector seems like just the right person to teach him.


This truly is the worst day in Kamishiro Ryouga's— no, it's Nasch now, _get your fucking act together_ — in Nasch's life.

Past life experiences, accepting his fate, returning to his former position as the Barian king— the day seems unending, much like the days with Yuuma seemed.

There's only a tiny timeframe in which they can do whatever they need to do to prepare before going to attack earth, and Nasch's nerves are starting to give in.

Resolving to join the Barians again is one thing, actually fighting Tsukumo Yuuma will be another.

And now is like the worst time to be breaking down, but he is, and he still feels like crying like he has for the last hour, but _this is not the fucking time_ and everyone's lives depend on his resolve.

So he takes his last resort.

"Vector."

Vector gives him a confused look because when does Nasch ever voluntarily talk to Vector anyway, but he follows Nasch when Nasch motions for him to come along. "So, what is it? Forgot how to use your ace?"

Vector is mocking him, but Nasch is the biggest fool of them all and he has no retorts.

"No." Nasch looks for words that don't make him look like a complete idiot, words that don't make him look like Kamishiro Ryouga; but the nature of his request gives it all away in an instant anyway and Vector isn't stupid, so he blurts out, "Teach me how to be an asshole."

"That's not very specific." Vector chuckles, and Nasch can tell that Vector knows but wants him to spell it out anyway.

It's humiliating.

Maybe Nasch deserves it.

 _I definitely deserve it._

"Lying."

If Vector had a mouth, he'd be smiling right now. "Anything else?"

"Being cruel."

"Specify."

Nasch clenches his fist. "I hate your guts."

"You're the one who wanted help." Vector shrugs.

"Tell me how you make someone genuinely hate you."

"Well, why do you hate me?"

"Isn't that obvious?"

Vector sits down on a rock. "If it was that obvious, you'd be able to tell."

Nasch can't tell, because his memory of his Barian time is laced with holes and this is precisely what he didn't want Vector to know, and Vector picked up on it way too fast for his taste.

 _Besides, he doesn't know of what he did in his past life. So why do we hate each other?_

"Well, I'll tell you how to do it." Vector giggles. "You aren't much of a king, are you? Asking me for help and all."

"Just get it over with."

"Alright. First off, stop actually looking into their eyes when they try to make eye contact. That's for honest people."

"Where the hell am I supposed to look then?"

"Look at the other person's forehead. No one will notice. Like this." So Vector steps in front of Nasch, stands on tiptoe and looks at him.

"So... the way you always look at me?"

 _Wouldn't be a surprise._

"Precisely!" Vector laughs. "Now try."

Nasch tries and it's easier than expected. (Easier than it should be.) "And then?"

"Just say whatever lies you wanna say, they'll work easily that way. You can practice. Say you like me."

And maybe Nasch is a bit too serious and Vector is just pulling his leg, but this is serious and it's for Barian World, so he musters up the most serious look he can give, grabs Vector's wrist, looks at his forehead and goes, "But that wouldn't actually be a lie, would it?"

(And maybe Nasch is pretending that someone else— Tsukumo Yuuma or perhaps even Shingetsu Rei— is standing in front of him instead.)

—Vector's eyes widen, for a bit Nasch can see the genuine confusion before the usual look settles in. Vector frees his wrists and takes a few steps back. "See? Wasn't that hard."

"True."

"About the whole 'making someone hate you' thing. Usually I'd say 'bring their friends in immediate danger and show them their misery', but that likely won't help with Yuuma." Mock-thoughtful, Vector strokes his chin. "Just try to be very convincing. Think about everything you dislike about them."

(Nasch ignores the urge to worry about Yuuma, and instead he wonders if Vector is talking from experience.)

"Alright." Nasch looks around, looks if he's being watched, then. "What I said about killing me if you doubt me was true, by the way."

"Oh? I'll make sure to watch your duel then~" Vector seems unsettlingly happy about that.

"That's just an excuse to slack off, isn't it?"

"Well, do you trust yourself to be able to kill a friend without someone around to watch you?"

"A few more deaths to my name won't matter." For a bit, Nasch forgot that Vector doesn't remember.

Vector laughs. "That was a bad lie. You looked at the ground."

"—We should get going." Nasch moves forward, but falls over immediately.

"Need help, your Highness?" Vector laughs, one foot on Nasch's cape.

"I hate your guts."


End file.
